The Betrayal - By Ruth Langan Page 0,7
them?”
Just then a gust of wind blew across the meadow, sending the flowers in a wild dance, flattening her skirts against her legs. Looking up, she saw Gwenellen struggling to catch the reins that had been blown from her grasp.
Kylia lifted her hands, palms up, and said in a haughty tone, “I command you, be still, lest my sister take a spill.”
At once a strange calm settled over the land.
While Grant watched in amazement, Gwenellen caught up the reins and the winged horse took a circular route to the ground, settling in the grass beside Jeremy, who was just dismounting.
Gwenellen’s cheeks were the color of ripe apples. “That was quite a ride. Especially when that breeze caught us by surprise. Thank you, Kylia.”
Her older sister gave her a quick hug. “You’re welcome. You’d have taken care of it yourself, but I could see that you had other things on your mind.”
“Aye. And we all know that my spells often go awry.” She turned away. “We’d best get back to the cottage. Oh.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I almost forgot. I promised Mum I’d bring her a bouquet of wildflowers for the table.” She spread her arms wide and called, “Foxglove, roses, lilies, too, come and fill my arms with you.”
There was a flutter of breeze and she looked in disgust at the mass of sticky chopped vegetables in her arms. “Not stew. I didn’t want stew.”
Kylia didn’t know what tickled her more. The look in her sister’s eyes, or the mass of wilted vegetables in her arms. With a laugh she clapped her hands, then spread her arms wide. In the blink of an eye she was holding an exquisite bouquet of wildflowers, which she handed to her little sister. “Here you are. I believe this will be more to your liking.”
“Thank you.” Gwenellen turned to Grant. “I hope you’re hungry.”
He wondered if these three could read the astonishment in his eyes as he followed them across the meadow toward the distant cottage.
Did they know what an amazing paradise this was? Or did they believe, since they’d lived here all their lives, that everyone enjoyed such comfort?
It occurred to Grant that if the outside world had any idea just what lay beyond the shores of the Enchanted Loch, there would be hundreds of warriors lined up to take on the dragon and any other beast that barred their way.
Chapter Three
Candles cast an inviting glow over those gathered around the table. Across the room a fire blazed on the hearth. The air that wafted through the windows was perfumed with the scent of heather and roses and all manner of exotic flowers that grew in profusion around the cottage.
Grant leaned back, feeling more content than he could ever remember. “That was a fine meal.”
“I’m glad it pleased you.” Wilona filled goblets with hot mulled wine and passed a plate of biscuits drizzled with honey and nuts. “Now that you’ve had a chance to see some of our kingdom, what do you think?”
He sipped his wine. “It’s even better than anything I could have imagined. The stories told in our land don’t do it justice.” He chuckled. “From the winged horses to the tiny fairies flitting from branch to branch in the trees, it’s simply beyond belief. And yet I saw them, and touched them.”
“And would have ridden Starlight,” Gwenellen interrupted, “if you were a bit smaller.”
Grant nodded at the young woman with the pixie smile. “What I wouldn’t give to ride a winged horse. To fly across the sky…” His voice trailed off before he mentally shook himself. “I saw things today I never would have believed. And if I were to tell such tales in my homeland, the people would scoff.”
“Such as?” Nola looked up.
“I saw Kylia fill her sister’s arms with exotic flowers, the likes of which I’ve never seen in my land, yet she didn’t pick them, but simply willed them into her hands.”
“I could have done it myself if I could just get the proper words,” Gwenellen said with a shrug.
“What’s more, I watched Kylia calm the wind with a stern command.”
“I wasn’t stern.” Kylia tilted her head in challenge. “I’m never stern.”
“Perhaps. But the command seemed stern enough to me. And to the wind, which,” he added with a laugh, “went dead calm as soon as you spoke.”
That had everyone laughing.
Still chuckling, Grant spread his hands. “This place is truly paradise. And the lot of you have gifts beyond the realm of my